A new direction at the Sharp BoathouseUn nuevo giro en Sharp Boathouse

A new direction at the Sharp Boathouse

Story BY Robin Elisabeth Kilmer

Photos by QPHOTONYC

Long-term residents of Inwood remember Swindler Cove on the Harlem River as a mass grave for unwanted cars.

The Cove underwent a transformation in 2003 and is now home to a marsh, one of Manhattan’s only beaches, a children’s vegetable garden and other features, including the Peter Jay Sharp Boathouse, which was opened in 2005.

Row New York, a non-profit organization that works to provide greater access to the city’s waterfront with rowing programs for underprivileged youths, has come to the Sharp Boathouse.

It is the first community boathouse built in New York City in over a hundred years.

Moreover, it stands as the new home of Row New York, an organization which provides rowing instruction and academic services to young people from the city’s underserved communities.

The program is designed to build strength, confidence, and a sense of camaraderie through teamwork.

Row New York was founded in 2002, with eight youngsters and a borrowed boat.

Row New York also offers corporate programs, private lessons, and offers the boathouse for private events, with all proceeds going to its youth programs, which are free.

It has now grown to serve 2,000 middle and high school girls from their boathouse in Queens and is now bringing its program to northern Manhattan.

The Row New York teams have won countless medals in statewide competitions. The girls are also winners academically: Row New York reports that program participants increase their GPA 40 percent. The program offers tutoring and test prep for college and state-mandated exams.

99 percent of participants graduate high school and go to college.

Another benefit of the program is access to York City’s waterways, which are healthier now than they have been in the last 100 years.

The city boasts 520 miles of waterfront, but many New Yorkers, particularly in urban communities, have only a vicarious relationship with the water.

“I think it’s a great opportunity of the young people here to use the waterway,” said Shafcat Kassim, Row New York’s Director of Corporate Relations and Events. “They see people on yachts and jet skis who get to be on the water everyday. They’re looking at this water all the time but they have no access. I think that’s what’s going to attract a lot of students to our program.”

As a safety precaution, youth in Row New York’s program are first taught to swim before they learn to row.

Peter Jay Sharp Boathouse, opened in 2005, is the first community boathouse built in New York City in over a hundred years.

Row New York also offers corporate programs, private lessons, and offers the boathouse for private events. All the proceeds go towards its youth programs, which are free.

City Hunt is also in the business of teambuilding, and organizes scavenger hunts throughout the city for corporate clients, non-profits and universities.

The group came to Peter Jay Sharp Boathouse this past Thurs., Aug. 30th to learn how to row an eight-seat scull. They hope to incorporate rowing into their own teambuilding program.

The City Hunt team first practiced on rowing machines before setting off into the Harlem River.

While some empty Capri Sun pouches drifted by in the soupy green river, fishermen and trees hugging the water’s edge gave it a pseudo-pastoral feel as the traffic rumbled from the nearby Major Deegan Expressway.

At first the City Hunt group struggled on the water as each rower moved to their own rhythm. Once in sync the team glided through the water at great speeds. They enjoyed their time and agreed that rowing would be a good addition to their own team-building efforts.

“No one’s going to say, ‘I row alone.’ If you don’t row together it’s not going to happen,” said Tim Mullins of City Hunt. “As a society, we love the individual, but we have to work together.”

“[Young people] are looking at this water all the time but they have no access,” said Shafcat Kassim, Row New York’s Director of Corporate Relations and Events. “I think that’s what’s going to attract a lot of students to our program.”

Mullins explained the importance of team-building on a corporate level: “Money is lost when people don’t communicate.”

For the rowers of Row New York, teambuilding is more personal and lessons they learn rowing as a team prepare them not only as good employees, but as members contributing positively to society.

Kassim says Row New York hopes to serve at least 200 area students at Peter Jay Sharp Boathouse.

And on Sat., Sep. 8th, neighbors will have an opportunity to enjoy Swindler’s Cove and the Harlem River from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. at the Sharp Boathouse, which will offer lessons, rides, refreshments, games and even Olympic athletes.

On Sept. 13th, try-outs will be held for the youth program.

“Our mission is to empower New York City’s youth to build strength, gain confidence, and pursue excellence through the sport of competitive rowing,” said Kathleen Klock, Row New York’s Director of Development. “We expect that our Manhattan-based programs will have the same great results as our well established programs in Queens – rowing fast, winning medals, and sending kids to college.”

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